Cannon breath

Description: Powerfully exhale from the navel point through the mouth only. The mouth should be opened in an "O" shape with the tongue relaxed. Keep the cheeks firm, do not let them bulge. Eyes: Closed Time: None specified.

Benefits: Exhaling using Cannon breath removes anything from your being that is not necessary. Cannon Breath is often done in conjunction with various pranayama and meditation practices in Kundalini Yoga.

Note: Nirvair Singh of SD, CA, gave me this 'mudra' to cure Acid Reflux. He said to do it for 11 minutes. I have even done it the midst of an attack and it works. Inhale 4 sniffs, exhale 4 Cannon Breaths, powerfully exhale from the navel point through the mouth only. The breath is exhaled as quickly and powerfully as possible. Sat Avtar Kaur, November 2011.

Whistling Breath (beak breath)

Description: Sit with a straight spine in Easy Pose or a chair. To whistle on an inhale, pucker the lips and inhale through the mouth, making a high-pitched whistling sound. Focus on the sound of the whistle. Exhale through the nose. To whistle on an exhale, first inhale through the nose and then exhale through the puckered mouth, making a high-pitched whistling sound. Focus the ears on the whistling sound. To whistle on both the inhale and exhale, pucker the lips and inhale through the mouth making a high-pitched whistling sound and then exhale through puckered lips making a high-pitched whistling sound. Focus the ears on the whistle. Eyes: Closed and rolled up to the third eye point between the eyebrows, unless otherwise specified. Time: None, unless used in a specific meditation.

Benefits: Yogi Bhajan taught that whistling stimulates the vagus nerve through the action of the lips. The vagus nerve participates in speech, breathing, digestion, and other bodily functions. He also said that Whistle Breath affects the glandular system and if practiced at least three minutes a day, can bring relaxation.

Note: As with any pranayama, if you become dizzy or lightheaded, stop the pranayama and resume normal breathing.

Vatskar Pranayam

With that Vatskar breath we sip in the air. We do not take air down as if into the stomach. We just bring it into the lungs.

Example-Sipping the air, inhale 8 or more times, then exhale slowly through the nose.

Lion Breath

Extend the tongue out to touch the chin. Breathe powerfully, forcing the breath over the root of the tongue, without any rasping.

Benefits: It is a powerful breath in the upper chest and throat. It helps cleanse out toxins and is good for the throat chakra and thyroid.